I’ll be the first to admit that high school physics and math were not my best subjects. Though sine, cosine, and tangent frustrated me endlessly, I’ve since made peace with these tricky trigonometric functions.

Exhibit A: this sine table by Maçek Furniture. The Austin-based company makes heirloom-quality furniture using lumber from certified sustainable sources and low-VOC finishes.

Here’s a simple mathematical equation that sums it the concept: cypress lumber plus steel plus stainless steel equals an irresistibly stylish and modern entry table inspired by sine waves. Or if sine and cosine aren’t your thing, the table might make you think of a gently flowing stream or part of a hand-woven basket. I love how the different shades of wood work together with the steel poles to create an industrial-meets-natural vibe.

Physicist or fashionista, this is one table we can all appreciate. Class dismissed!

There’s something delightfully fun and festive about this one-of-a-kind table. Designed and crafted by Brothers Dressler, twin woodworkers in Toronto, Canada, it uses “wooden lasts” salvaged from a Northern Ontario fishing camp, evoking the era of cobblers and handmade shoes.

Interestingly, the lasts were labeled as “firewood for cottagers,” but the Brothers Dressler saw their potential as functional art and created a series of objects that play off this theme. This one is called “Last Place,” but there’s also a table called “Last Waltz,” a light called “Last Light,” a shelf called “Last Frontier,” and a footstool called “Last Dance.”

As grandparents are fond of saying, they sure don’t make things like they used to. Maybe not, the Brothers Dressler have found a clever and (dare we say it) kicky way to breathe new life into these old, tired objects. Grandma would approve!

Setting a stylish table means paying attention to details, right down to the slat and pepper shakers. Why go to the trouble of roasting organic veggies and tofu and setting out a pretty tablecloth, only to ruin the effect with plain Jane salt and pepper shakers from the grocery store?

Exactly.

Here are five stylish salt and pepper shakers fit for entertaining.

1. Amenity Arroyo Salt & Pepper Shakers (pictured above)
   Individually crafted by California wood workers, these walnut wood shakers add modern style to any meal. We especially love how the wood grain lends a sophisticated, yet natural touch.
2. Domestic Aesthetic Salt & Pepper Shakers
   With their distinctive shapes and colors, these shakers make it easy to distinguish the salt and pepper (unless you want to play a mean joke on your guests). They’re also made in the U.S. from sustainable materials.
3. Tablecraft Marbella Salt & Shakers
   These shakers are being sold in large quantities by a restaurant supply store, but we dig the simplicity of tinted, recycled green glass and their classic shape.
4. Mudcloth Salt & Pepper Shakers
   Add flair to an ethnic dinner with these hand-painted, black and white shakers inspired by MudCloth textiles from Mali.
5. Licor Delicioso Salt & Pepper Shakers
   I’d save these for a casual cookout or BBQ (hello? perfect for today!), but these mini liquor-bottles-turned-shakers are a whimsical way to set the mood.

Lately I think I’m going through an earlier-than-mid-life slight case of feeling “lost”. Not lost as in lacking hope, but rather the lost that sits low in your stomach and nags until you can’t help but hear it whispering “Yes, do that thing you’ve been pondering. Do it now.”

This is how it happened that I found myself on the path toward green.

Maybe the guys at &made studio were listening to the same whisper in 2005 when they opened shop. Now “one of the UK’s freshest consultancies for ethically conscious contemporary design”, &made has an eco-attitude and steadfast commitment to change the world’s wasteful ways.

Their collection of Lost & Found Stools is clever and modern and speaks loudly to finding something new from what’s been long lost. The stools are made with discarded furniture and scraps of wood without a purpose. The end result is an eclectic group of artistic and functional seats. Go figure – there’s also a collection of Lost & Found Tables.

I’m smitten with these gems and impressed with the design savvy and focus of &made. Lost & Found Stools are available in a range of colors on commission only. Contact &made for details.